The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has suspended the food business licence of Sodexo India Services Pvt Ltd after an inspection of the kitchen at Fortis Hospital in Mulund found cockroaches, food waste in drainage, fungus-infested food transport containers and rusted knives being used while meals were prepared for patients.
The action against the hospital kitchen was part of a statewide food safety crackdown announced by the FDA on October 16. Licences of 25 food establishments, including hotels, restaurants, bakeries and canteens, were suspended for violations of food safety regulations. Seven of the establishments were located in the Mumbai division.
Sodexo operates the Fortis kitchen and holds the relevant food business licence. Fortis said the kitchen was run by its third-party dietary service provider and that patient safety, quality of care and hygiene were its priorities.
“We take the observations raised by the FDA seriously and have directed the service provider to promptly address them and ensure compliance with all applicable food safety requirements,” the hospital said. Fortis added that it was reviewing the corrective measures being undertaken and making alternative arrangements wherever required to ensure the uninterrupted provision of safe, nutritious meals to patients and their attendants.
The inspection findings place the focus on the operational controls behind institutional food services, where hospitals depend on contracted providers to prepare and distribute meals to patients and attendants. The FDA action concerns the premises and food business licence connected with the kitchen operated by Sodexo; the hospital said it had directed the service provider to address the violations.
The wider enforcement drive also covered the Sophia College Canteen on Bhulabhai Desai Road in Mumbai. The FDA suspended the canteen’s licence after detecting violations during its inspection. Sophia College for Women principal Anagha Tendulkar Patil said the college had suspended the canteen contractor’s services with immediate effect.
“The college has responded promptly and suspended the services of the canteen’s contractor with immediate effect. This took place today and necessary modifications/improvements are being undertaken right away. The college consistently prioritizes the wellbeing of its students above all else,” she said.
Across Maharashtra, the suspended establishments included six Domino’s Pizza outlets in Pune and other food businesses found to be violating Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. The 25 establishments were spread across four administrative divisions: seven in Mumbai, two in Konkan, eight in Pune and eight in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division.
The immediate next steps at Fortis are the corrective measures being undertaken by Sodexo, the hospital’s review of those measures and the continuation of alternative meal arrangements where required. At Sophia College, the canteen contractor’s services remain suspended while modifications and improvements are carried out.
